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Author Topic: New Zealand in April  (Read 4807 times)

jdemott

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New Zealand in April
« on: March 06, 2003, 07:52:40 pm »

I spent the month of March touring the South Island a few years ago and I have to say that it would be difficult to find a bad location.  I'm sure you have heard of many or most of the famous locations, such as Milford Sound, Queenstown, the glaciers, etc.  One of the less famous locations that I most enjoyed, and that I most want to return to, is the Wanaka area.  There are a number of wonderful hikes in the valleys and hills surrounding Wanaka--some easy, some difficult--with great photo opportunities.  Hikes to Diamond Lake/Rocky Hill,  to Mt. Aspiring Hut and to Glacier Burn come to mind.  Wanaka is a very pleasant town, not as crowded or touristy as Queenstown.  There is a small but decent photo lab in Wanaka that gave me one day service on E-6 processing.  When I was there, the weather was very changeable (which I think is normal) providing lots of dramatic clouds, storms and rainbows.

I enjoyed photographing landscapes and seascapes on the Otago penisula and also saw penguins on a remote beach there.  The whale watching boats at Kaikura are definitiely worthwhile (best photography is on the lower deck of the boat although most tourists head for the upper deck).

You'll have a great time.  I wish I were going too.
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John DeMott

nniko

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New Zealand in April
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2003, 12:15:28 pm »

I recently came back from a trip to the south island (in January), and was there a few years back in March, and have a couple of comments:

(1)  Milford Sound is lovely, but, in my opinion, the mountains along the road leading there were even more impressive (impossibly high and steep rock cliffs with cascades pouring down them, etc.).  Leave plenty of time to spend along the road and the trails leading off from it.  (The town of Te Anau is really the only reasonable place to stay the night to explore this region if you don't camp; Queenstown is a loooong slow drive away, though it doesn't look so far on a map.)  The early parts of the Routeburn Track were particularly stunning, as were views from the road between there and the Homer Tunnel.

(2) Another place to consider is Paparoa National Park, on the northwest coast.  It was only developed fairly recently, so it isn't on too many itineraries yet, but has lots of interesting scenery (strange coastal rock formations, caves and gorges, wonderful jungle rivers, etc.) that hasn't been "done to death" by photographers yet.

(3)  If you happen to be taking the road over Arthur's Pass to get to the northwest coast, stop for a few minutes in the Castle Hill area to wander around the weirdly eroded giant boulders that are strewn across the hillsides there.  Weirdly photogenic.

General tip:  Don't rely just on the comments of others.  Find a bunch of photos of the south island (buy a book, search the web, or whatever), and see what appeals to you.  Opinions vary.  I know that in my case, I found Queenstown, Wanaka and Arthur's Pass to be somewhat disappointing, while other less acclaimed places were pleasant surprises.

Lisa
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Steven Friedman

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New Zealand in April
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2003, 04:41:55 pm »

Does anyone have advice for locations in New Zeland's south Island for the month of April?
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Gene R.

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New Zealand in April
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2003, 09:58:18 pm »

My wife and I have travelled NZ several times. The last visit was late April-late May of 2002. This time, we settled down in Christchurch, lived like natives. This year we will be living there from April 10-May 7.  Weather wise, it's a great time of year...like fall in the US.
The previous post by jdemott is very good. You will find breathtaking beauty everywhere.
There are good travel books on NZ in the bookstores.
As for Christchurch, there are beautiful views of the river Avon...which runs through the city. Also, Christchurch is known for it's outstanding botanical garden in Hagley Park.
While the US dollar has slipped somewhat, you will still find prices very reasonable.
Have a great trip.
Gene
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